Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Real Estate > Renting
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 09-11-2016, 03:35 PM
 
1 posts, read 1,642 times
Reputation: 10

Advertisements

My family and I found an apartment last month and began filing paperwork to get things prepared with the landlord. We have section 8 and there were a few things we needed to get done before moving in. My step dad installed the microwave and stove so that the landlord would not have to pay someone to do it. Finally, after inspection was passed, we decided to move in 9/15. We signed the lease yesterday 9/10 but did not give the deposit because he said he would prefer if we gave it when we got the keys, which would be the day we began moving on 9/15.

Today he calls us and says he sees trouble with us and that he is not sure about renting to us and that his wife does not want us etc. I am so confused as to where this is coming from when we have been preparing to move in for the past three weeks already. We have given our notice to our current landlord, our section 8 voucher has officially expired (which didn't matter at first since we thought we had found a place), we began the school transfer process for the child in our house, and we took some of the weight off of his shoulders by doing things around the house so he could worry about paperwork.

I am very upset and I don't even know what I am going to do on Thursday since my landlord is expecting us to be out by then. Is there anything I can do?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 09-11-2016, 03:48 PM
 
Location: North Idaho
32,503 posts, read 47,500,455 times
Reputation: 77808
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leighx View Post
........ our section 8 voucher has officially expired ...........Is there anything I can do?
Hurry and look for another place?

It might not be you at all. The landlord might be having problems with the housing authority. In some locations, the housing authority is almost impossible to work with.

If your Section 8 voucher has expired there might be something on your application where you were not truthful (deliberately or not) and if your voucher is expired perhaps you don't have enough income to qualify for the rent?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 05:24 PM
 
Location: SoCal
14,530 posts, read 19,998,650 times
Reputation: 10539
Seems to me if you have a lease signed by all parties that the landlord may have a bit of a legal problem. I suggest you get legal advice, quickly. Like tomorrow. You may be able to get free advice, or worst case 30 minute consult at a modest fee.

If I returned a fully executed lease to a tenant I would expect to be sued. On the other hand, if they didn't move in they would be the ones with a lawsuit.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 05:36 PM
 
13,070 posts, read 20,743,584 times
Reputation: 21245
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lovehound View Post
Seems to me if you have a lease signed by all parties that the landlord may have a bit of a legal problem.
If the lease is based on a Section 8 Voucher, and that voucher is no longer valid, the tenant is the one who breached the lease agreement and the "guarantor" is no longer backing the lease payments.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 05:39 PM
 
Location: SoCal
14,530 posts, read 19,998,650 times
Reputation: 10539
I admit I know nothing about Section 8 except to stay away from it.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 05:50 PM
 
Location: FL
103 posts, read 218,876 times
Reputation: 141
I second the advice to get a lawyer or a local tenant advocate. It is a shame that in many states the landlord is allowed to keep the tenant's deposit and charge up to 2 months for a tenant breaking a signed lease however when the landlord does the same typically the tenant gets nothing.

I'm sure about the legalities myself but morally that landlord ought to be paying you one month's rent at the very least for your hassle UNLESS there is a very good reason for this besides him getting cold feet.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 05:57 PM
 
Location: SoCal
14,530 posts, read 19,998,650 times
Reputation: 10539
My leases state there is a $400 fee for tenant breaking the lease, and all other terms continue to apply including paying the rent until a replacement tenant can be found. No surprises there except if tenant is an idiot and didn't read that.

Actually I am totally convinced that probably only 20% of tenants even skim read the lease, and I'd bet money none read every word. I've done about a dozen of them by now (as landlord) and I know practically every word by heart.

I think tenants think, "I want the house and I can't have it unless I sign the lease, so I might as well just initial every page and full name on the last page and get it over with."

By the way, about that $400 fee for breaking the lease, it costs ME $1,000 to get Realtor to advertise, show, find tenant, fill out the new lease papers (and tons of other docco), just to get a new tenant. I don't feel one single bit bad about collecting the early termination fee. I wish I could make it $1,000 but life has taught me to not mess with things I do not know. $400 is what the Realtor puts in and $400 it is.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 05:59 PM
 
2,763 posts, read 5,732,729 times
Reputation: 2791
did they sign the lease too? If so, then they're stuck.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 07:20 PM
 
Location: My beloved Bluegrass
20,101 posts, read 16,032,814 times
Reputation: 28270
Quote:
Originally Posted by rezfreak View Post
did they sign the lease too? If so, then they're stuck.
As someone above said, the landlord may have run into issues with section 8 regulations. Some places they simply want the unreasonable or unobtainable. If they can't meet the section 8 requirements they aren't breaking the lease, it fits under the same category as a person trying to purchase a home who can't get a loan.
__________________
When I post in bold red that is moderator action and, per the TOS, can only be discussed through Direct Message.Moderator - Diabetes and Kentucky (including Lexington & Louisville)
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 09-11-2016, 08:47 PM
 
Location: Phoenix, AZ area
3,365 posts, read 5,189,948 times
Reputation: 4203
Quote:
Originally Posted by rezfreak View Post
did they sign the lease too? If so, then they're stuck.
The OP would need proof the agreement was signed. Without that your case for damages is pretty much null. If the OP can get the LL to admit they signed the lease in email or something like that they could have a shot. Not a whole lot you can do here.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > General Forums > Real Estate > Renting

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top